SWB250 going on ebay

[andysharrock]

The only problem I have with red is its the classic kit car trick pretending to be a ferrari it can look good or toy town. its all down to personnel taste I remember the GTO that came up a while ago in red with the padded interior. looked like a tarts bedroom to me. but to the guy that did it bet he thought it was beautiful. You knock ebay but there is some expensive cars and kit cars on there its world wide my GTO sold thanks to ebay for 8k to a guy in Ireland. if it was not for ebay I would not have built it in the first place because its ware I first saw them. I also agree with what you are saying about the classic sites and de personalizing the car, but I would still not paint it red they look more authentic in silver personal taste maybe

[Nickydee]

Originally Posted by Tribute Automotive

This is a polite and factual statement:

Every one of my unfinished projects that I have built/sold has provided each buyer (trade and general public) with good value and a short cut to a vehicle that they can, and have, finished to whichever level of finish they choose or can afford to meet.

Being a small business in a niche market can be very hard in terms of cash flow and profit margins. With this in mind I will continue to sell unfinished projects to satisfied customers for the price that we have both agreed on.

If anyone wishes to PM or contact email on info@tributeautomotive.co.uk or ring me within working hours to discuss further I will be more than happy to continue being both polite and factual.

I did bid on this car but the reserve was more than I was prepared to pay. By that I mean a price which reflect the cost of the donor, the kit etc and time spent putting that together. Andy admits that the top bid would have done this and given him a profit so I would rather wait for another car to come along. Andy chose not to sell which is clearly his prerogative and I am no way criticising him for this. This what ebay is all about and the car has found its level in the market which is useful to buyers sellers alike.

However what I find a bit upsetting is that Chris is berated for selling his product in various states of completion at a price which he feels acceptable. If Chris decided to increase the price of the kit significantly since after all if a completed 250 is worth double that of a Kobra than why should he not have a piece of the action due to the popularity of this particular model which he created, I am sure some people on here would be outraged.

There appears to be an expectation for Chris to put up the prices of his part completed/completed cars up but at the same time keeping his kit prices low so others can profiteer by leaching off Chris's successful concept. As the manufacturer Chris is entitled to offer his products at the right price for him, the market will decide how much demand there is at these price points. If there is profit to be had in completed cars, then logically Chris will sell more kits and part completed cars, others will finish cars to high standard and achieve what they consider good prices , a win win situation all round.

[Mechanik]

Personal taste again...you are selling it, hopefully for the highest price. Only £8000 for a GTO, does that not tell you something? If you factor in all costs and a bit of labour someone got a great deal but not you. Ebay is fantastic for bargains but the classic car world is way to go.

No one is suggesting Chris should increase the cost of the kit. No one has suggested that. He is welcome to ask what he wants for a built car but I wish he did not advertise them on ebay, maybe better through this forum or the club. As he does not sell finished cars he does not have an interest in his customers getting high prices from their meticulously built cars.
I was going to put an order in for a 250SWb but Im having reservations now.

[Nickydee]

By saying Chris should not be advertisining on ebay you are dictating who he sells how and why he sells his product. Been involved with kit cars for over 30 years, and generally the cost of the building is greater than the resale value. I think with these cars there is a good chance of getting back your cash so if you are building for your enjoyment/hobby then why would you have reservations about placing an order. If on the other hand you are looking for a business proposition then you cant expect Chris to reduce his return just so you can increase yours - and of course if there's no no Chris there no kits and no cars.

[Mechanik]

I said 'wish he wouldn't', where is that dictating!
Why do we have to be content with building a car, spending hours and hours buying parts, building, etc and then have to accept what is the sum total of bits.
I prefer to enjoy building it and then sell on with a margin which includes some of my time so I can build another better next time. What could be better build enjoy, drive enjoy, sell enjoy and have more funds to build a better one?
These cars have massive retail potential which is being stunted. Personal opinion but thats all it is.

[Nickydee]

You said you were reconsidering placing your order, it would be natural for Chris to take this into consideration before advertising a part completed car on eBay as by doing so he may lose the sale of a kit.

I would agree that the cars have massive potential in my view this is partly because of not despite of Chris low kit price. If a "profit" is available for hobbyists/or professional builders than thats great as I dont resent anybody making a profit.

Chris obviously feels that he needs sell a few part completed cars at what is perceived as a "low" price to make his business viable , thats his choice and he should not be berated for this. If he followed a different business model and produced only high end completed cars he might make more profit, but then the opportunity for all the people who want to build their own car would have gone. On the other he could increase the price of his kits, sell less and no part completed cars but make the same return and retain exclusivity keeping up the price of completed cars but fewer people would be able to enjoy and the margins on completed cars would close. This all assumes Chris is perfectively rational and his only motive profit, it more likely he making some decisions on basis of what he enjoys doing.

It is just classic example of not being able to have your cake and eat it.

[Mitchelkitman]

My personal opinion (and of course that's all it is) is that Chris has it about right. There are many kit car companies from history who tried to sell just complete cars in order to maximise profit, and as a result they don't exist any more. I know that's the other extreme, but it's an example of what can happen. There is a successful product which has now changed hands (I shan't reveal which one) and I believe is being relaunched at Stoneleigh but only as a complete kit of parts for 11k. I can see that strategy failing dramatically............ Ok some would say to get all the parts will cost that (or more), but the kit-building public may want slightly different spec parts/maybe use 2nd hand parts etc. Also from a marketing point of view it looks expensive (even if it isn't). I recall stories of manufacturers selling a 'kit' which then needed a 'suspension kit' and a 'glazing kit' etc etc. This still goes on today, but it makes the basic price look good, and draws folk in. The more popular a car is on the road, the more sales it generates - look how mainstream manufacturers chase this figure... to the point of calling all bodystyles the same name. Ford quickly changed the Orion to made it the Escort saloon to get the numbers up. A few Tributes (maybe?) sold for high money may not generate as much return as a lot sold for a lower price. Ebay (it has to be said) has such a market coverage that it is the place to sell these days. I put a Sierra in local rag, gumtree etc and got 3 replies in as many weeks, on bay I had 30 views in 3 days and 3 buyers queuing up. That's the market we are in.

[WorldClassAccident]

I recall stories of manufacturers selling a 'kit' which then needed a 'suspension kit' and a 'glazing kit' etc etc.

I was looking at an Ultima a few years back that seemed quite reasonable until you factored in the options which included the engine. That was a kind of important option I felt and depending whether you went for the boggo 350bhp all the way up to the quite tuned 1020bhp option the prices went from high to out of reach.

Now you have to email them to inquire about pricing

[Lucky@LeMans]

Bottom line the 250SWB and the Kobra are still new to market and will take a while to establish values. The older Cobra scene is well known and values can be defined by maker and spec.
There are other factors with Trubute cars which need to be considered.
The donor car choice is more important because the donor is "The Car" to which you bolt on your panel kit. There seems to be a rush to buy the cheapest Z3's often with the 4 cylinder engines and high mileage. I would suggest a low mileage car with the better 6 cylinder options would make better sense for most. Also the auto box option has never been a favourite with kit buyers but there are many Tribute cars with this feature.
So with a view for resale , a large engine Z3 with low miles and manual box should be the donor of choice.
A finished car will always be worth more than a project , simple!
Colour choice would be a matter of choice but for re sale I would say dark blue, silver or red. Black trim would be best and subtle Ferrari badges to finish.
Values imo for this of spec £20 - 25k all day.

[Mitchelkitman]

I prefer to badge it as a Tribute - BTW what happened to those lovely chrome? or Stainless Tribute boot badges ... where they produced? How Much £?

[gas guzzler]

I still have my 300z mainly because, I believe, it was unfinished well not painted (and just before Christmas). I was hoping for around the £4500 but was only offered £3500 which was well short and not worth selling for so little. I will be trying to sell it again in the Spring and it will be done in Silver as I believe this colour to show the cars lines off to the best. I've been into classic cars all my life and have seen many 250 swb and oddly enough a lot them have not been red. Yellow, blue and silver seem popular and even not all the reds are Ferrari red, my scaletrix one was blue.
Mine is badged as a Tribute which gets as much interest as the car.


Andy

[ned]

Like the Tribute badge where did you have it made ?



Gary

[Nubodi Automotive]

Not silver but Ferrari Grigio Mahmoud just back from paint today. Class.

[molleur]

Nice!

[y cymro]

Lovely colour choice that really suits it, well done

[Nubodi Automotive]

We can't take the credit for the colour that was the customers inspired choice. It looks so classy and understated.

[gas guzzler]

Originally Posted by ned

Like the Tribute badge where did you have it made ?



Gary

Made it myself out of aluminium, got one on the front as well.

Love the car above, stunning.

Andy

[y cymro]

Originally Posted by Nubodi Automotive

We can't take the credit for the colour that was the customers inspired choice. It looks so classy and understated.

Then you should take the credit for the excellent prep that make the paint job look so good. After all, it's generally regarded that 80% of a good paint job is down to careful preparation.

[smash]

Paint finish looks stunning! Colour doesn't work for me at all but great depth and reflections

[froggyman]

That is some classy finish and I am sure will look stunning when fully assembled. I think 'Mr Towed'will be in awe of this one.